Envisioning Science that Improves Lives

Most of us may see ‘Science’ as a subject in school; we experience it in the form of technology, applied in various fields from engineering to medicine, from education to lifestyles. We may not completely appreciate or understand or sufficiently talk about the greater purpose and cause of ‘Science’, which is to help the human civilization evolve and survive the tests of time. Dr. Min-Tze Liong, is a young Malaysian scientist in action, embracing this very purpose and working hard in the lab to discover the miraculous ability of bacteria and yeast to improve our lives. Imagine a stress-free mind! Imagine the immunity of a superman! Imagine flushing out potential cancer cells out of your body! Imagine the power to fight cholesterol and related gastro and liver diseases!

Dr. Min-Tze Liong, only 37 years old, is not afraid to think the many possibilities and what live bacteria (probiotics) can do to improve our health and productivity. These bacteria are cultivated or as Liong puts it “are recruited as talent from just about anything from breast milk, fruit and vegetables to faeces”. Dr. Min-Tze’s research and hypotheses led her to discover that stress causes DNA in the brain to break-down, which could lead to various physical and mental health conditions, including accelerated aging. “I am working to identify the right strains of bacteria or probiotics, which could help preserve DNA and help people beat stress”, shares Liong.

Determined and having developed a liking “to do things others would not do”, Liong elaborates “Science is meant to fish for solutions, which will positively improve our quality of life on this planet. Our generations (present and future) continue to struggle to find a balance between stressful work and healthy lifestyles. While science can help identify solutions (such as probiotics), people need to be educated about the magical marvels and the role of science in our everyday lives. Public awareness can improve public health and wellbeing”.

With a B. Sc. in Food Technology from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Liong pursued her Masters in Food Biotechnology from USM and Ph.D in Food Microbiology and Safety from University of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia). Currently, she is also serving as the Vice Chair of Young Scientists Network of Malaysia and actively involved in Research on Probiotics.

Head-Hunting with a Microscope

As government officials across the globe are strategising ways to increase female participation in the workforce and stifle brain-drain by encouraging indigenous talent to play for the home field – Prof. Dr. Min-Tze Liong, Vice Chair of Young Scientists Network, a foundation of passionate and outstanding young scientific Malaysian minds, is premised on recruiting talent of the kind that you would not have even thought of; even if you were asked to go on, and take a guess. These kind of talent can be found everywhere in our ecosystem, however they cannot be seen by the naked eye.

If, unlikely as it maybe, you are thinking along the lines of bacteria, you are on the right track. These bacteria – Probiotics – the good kind, are widely acclaimed for its friendly properties, particularly for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Intrigued by their health benefits, Liong is exploring the lesser known ‘pros’ of Probiotics such as lowering cholesterol and better stress management. These probiotics are cultivated or as Liong puts it “are recruited as talent from just about anything from breast milk, fruit and vegetables to faeces”.

A defining moment in her scientific career, which propelled her to further test and enhance various hypothesis, “was discovering that stress causes DNA in the brain to break down like the shattering palace of ice in Frozen, leading to ailing mental health and accelerated aging. However, consuming the right strain of probiotics help preserve the DNA and alleviate stress”, explained Liong.

Determined and having developed a liking “to do things others would not do”, Liong elaborates “such pioneering approach is a huge plus-point for us scientists, as it helps develop our very own niche, which complements our expertise”.

Liong commenced her journey in academia with a B. Sc. in Food Technology from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) following which, she pursued a Masters in Food Biotechnology from USM and Ph.D in Food Microbiology and Safety from University of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia).

When asked if she can pin-point the very moment she decided to become a scientist, Liong recalls her ‘eureka’ moment when news broke that ‘Dolly’ the sheep had been cloned in the U.S. It was this moment; and the fact that her parents were not pushy on academics, learning through play and experiments at school, all of which made Liong spend countless hours and energy to rise to prominence in her field of scientific expertise. Withstanding the fact that recruiting and defining microscopic talent comes with a hefty failure rate before you achieve a breakthrough.